Ben Wang (AP Photo/Allison Dinner)
“American Born Chinese” actor Ben Wang is the next Karate Kid.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wang will star in the latest installment of the Karate Kid franchise, which is slated to premiere on Dec. 13, 2024.
In November 2023, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio announced the Karate Kid casting call. Thousands of applicants from around the world applied.
Wang was chosen because of his standout audition. He is also fluent in Mandarin and knows several forms of martial arts—karate, wing chun/kung fu, gumdo, kempo and taekwondo, Variety reports.
The “Karate Kid” films have earned $618 million globally, and spawned the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Cobra Kai.”